Infographic: How to boost your YouTube video ranking

There’s no magic trick to make your video go viral, but there’s plenty of tinkering you can do to help your piece shinny up the digital ladder.

Social Media Today posted an infographic, created by SEO Horizon, that offers insights about the inner workings of YouTube’s video ranking algorithm. Videos are not ranked, judged and sorted randomly, it turns out.

According to the piece, there are 11 crucial factors that determine whether your content sinks or rises. Key factors include:

Views. If no one watches your video, YouTube takes that to mean your piece is not worthy of rising in the ranks.

Likes. “Likes” are a strong engagement signal that boost the algorithm’s perception of your piece.

Comments. YouTube’s comment section has long been one of the most toxic, vile places on the internet. However, comments are a sign of engagement, which can push your video toward the top of the heap. If you must wade into the comments morass, prepare for an onslaught of insults, potty talk and terrible spelling.

Length. According to the infographic: “YouTube has publicly confirmed that a video’s total watch time is a key ranking signal.” YouTube’s desire is to keep people on the site for longer periods of time, so longer videos tend to outrank shorter ones. The graphic says the “average length of a video ranking on the first page of YouTube is 14 minutes, 50 seconds.”

HD-quality video. High-definition videos are far more likely to appear on the vaunted first page of YouTube search results. “In fact, 68.2 percent of all videos on YouTube’s first page are in HD,” the infographic states.